The Dollarbirds (Eurystomus orientalis) were nesting again at the Changi Boardwalk. Constructed from palm stems, probably nibong (Oncosperma sp.), the rotting top portions are favourite nesting holes for these birds. These hole nesters make use of the natural cavities as they are not able to excavate their own. There is an earlier post on the nesting in 2006.

James Wong a.k.a. Jw73 documented the birds bringing insects to the nestlings and are sharing his images with us here (above and below).

According to Fry (2001), Dollarbirds take large insects like beetles, mantises, grasshoppers, shield-bugs, cicadas, moths and termites. The image above (right) shows an adult bird bringing a shield-bug (Cantau ocellatus) to feed its young. Insects are usually caught in flight and brought back to the perch where they are shaken rather than beaten against the branch.

Reference:
Fry, C.H. (2001). Family Coraciidae (Rollers). Pp. 342-377 in: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. eds. (2001). Handbook of the birds of the world. Vol. 6. Mousebirds to Hornbills. Barcelona: Lynx Editions.

This post is a cooperative effort between NaturePixels.org and BESG to bring the study of bird behaviour through photography to a wider audience.

All images by James Wong.

Alvin a.k.a. epiphytophile of NaturePixels.org was at Changi Cove on the afternoon of 9th April 2008 when he saw a strange and unfamiliar looking bird with a prominently long tail (above). He managed to get a few pictures before the bird disappeared. It was a male Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura) in breeding plumage, thus the long tail.

Similarly, Dr Eric Tan a.k.a. MountainMan succeeded in snapping a few images of this impressively looking and attractive bird (below).

According to Subaraj Rajathurai, our bird specialist: “While these escapees can hang around an area for a while, the whydah has never established itself as a feral species. There are no breeding records, although immature birds have been seen, and they never occur at an area for more than a couple of months.

“This grassland species must have escaped from some bird holding area or bird shop. For the Serangoon records, along with the many other escapees that occured there in the 1980s/1990s, there is the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority Quarantine Station that was situated at the old Tampines Road nearby.

“As for Changi, there have been a few interesting escapees over the years and one wonders where they were escaping from.”

This is a brood parasite, a very aggressive bird that comes from most parts of Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Because of its beauty, it is much sought after as a cage bird. The bird sighted at Changi is obviously an escapee.

This post is a cooperative effort between NaturePixels.org and BESG to bring the study of bird behaviour through photography to a wider audience.

As the name implies, the main diet of the Blue-throated Bee-eater (Merops viridis) is honeybees (Apis spp.) and other hymenopterans. It also eats other insects like flies, beetles, bugs, moths, butterflies, dragonflies and even small fishes.

The bird forages from a high perch, to return to the perch to beat the prey before swallowing. With smaller, soft insects, they are swallowed at once, in other words, eaten on the wing. Bee-eaters also feast at termite hatches and pick insects as they flee from forest fires. They also regurgitate pellets after their meals.

With hymenopterans that are capable of stinging, they are caught, branch-swiped and de-venomed by rubbing against the branch. This has been documented by Dr. Redzlan Abdul Rahman, whose images are shown on the left and below. The structure dangling from the branch below the bird’s bill (below left) and to the left of the perching bird (bleow right) consists of two mistletoe seeds joined by a sticky mucilaginous strand. The seeds were left there probably by a Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum cruentatum).

Peninsular Malaysia has two resident Whistling Thrushes, Blue (Myophonus caeruleus) (above) and Malayan (M. robinsoni). The former has a wide distribution that includes South-central Asia, Southern Tibet, the Himalayas, part of the Indian subcontinent and China, down south to Southeast Asia, up to Sumatra and Java. The Malayan, on the other hand, has a very limited range: confined only to the Main Range from Cameron Highlands south to Genting Highlands (below).

The two species are differentiated by size, the Malayan being, according to Wells (2007), “Roughly 15 percent smaller and proportionately longer – rather than, as often assumed, shorter-tailed than Blue Whistling Thrush…” Also, the Malayan lacks the white spotting on the median wing-coverts, which are not present in the juvenile Blue. The Malayan has blue forehead, which is however, inconspicuous in deep shade.

Few birders have seen the Blue Whistling Thrush and fewer still the Malaysian Whistling Thrush. Ecological information on these birds is scarce and since the discovery of the nesting at Cameron Highlands by Allan Teo, we have made a number of posts on the nesting behaviour: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Image of Blue Whistling Thrush by KC Tsang and that of Malayan Whistling Thrush by Allan Teo.

Reference:
Wells, D.R. (2007). The birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsular. Vol. II, Passerines. Christopher Helm, London.

On 11th February 2008, Dr Eric Tan a.k.a. MountainMan, documented an adult Red-legged Crake (Rallina fasciata) accompanied by a recently fledged chick foraging together in the Singapore Botanical Gardens (above: adult right, fledgling left).

There is more than one family of Red-legged Crake in the Gardens. One or more birds are regularly sighted in the morning or early evening, foraging or even stealing a bath in a roadside puddle after rain.

The above images show the adult on the left and the fledgling on the right. The adult is an impressive looking bird with bright chestnut-orange head, neck, throat and upper breast. The lower breast and belly have prominent white barring. Coupled with these features are the bright orange iris and eye ring and red legs. However, the sexes are not easily distinguishable, although the female is somewhat more cinnamon on the head and neck. Also, her belly and flanks have narrower black bars.

The juvenile, shown above stretching a wing and a leg, is not often illustrated in guide books, possibly because such images are uncommon. Well, we have here distinct images of a recently fledged chick showing brownish plumage that is chestnut in the adult. Also, the less distinct barring on the lower breast, belly and coverts. The iris and eye ring are less bright and the legs are just beginning to develop the redness.

This post is a cooperative effort between NaturePixels.org and BESG to bring the study of bird behaviour through photography to a wider audience.

All images by Dr Eric Tan.